Spill The Sickness
by drowninginlove
Summary: Castle goes to surprise Beckett after a long day of writing, and comes across a very sick detective lying in bed.
1. Chapter 1

Spill The Sickness

_For the anon prompt on Tumblr, sick Beckett_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of it's characters. What I do own is my overactive imagination and my love of procrastination  
_

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Richard Castle was bouncing up and down in the backseat of a taxi cab. He had just spent the entire day writing, sending his girlfriend of 6 months to go to work without his presence. Rarely a day went by that he didn't accompany Kate into work, but Castle was struck with inspiration and took off the day to write out 3 chapters of Molten Heat. Now, he was going to surprise visit his girlfriend at home. After all this time, Castle still couldn't believe that he was able to call Kate Beckett his girlfriend. Girlfriend wasn't exactly the best word to describe what they were, but he didn't want to scare people off with 'soulmate' or, even worse, 'my always'. Cringing at his own cheesiness, Castle looked down at the gifts he was bringing with him. 2 boxes of Chinese food from the place near the loft that had their order memorized, a boxed set of Nebula 9 DVDs – he still hadn't made good on his agreement with Kate – and 2 coffees. Even though it was nearing 6pm, Castle needed the caffeine fix, and assumed that his girlfriend probably did too.

As the cab pulled up in front of Kate's apartment, Rick handed over the fare, gathered up his gifts and made his way into the elevator. Placing the food on the ground carefully, he began digging through his pockets. Among certain other things, one of Kate's gifts to him on their 6 month anniversary was a key to her loft. 'In case of emergencies' she told him as she handed it over with a smile. Rick bypassed his wallet and cell phone until he found his keys. Fumbling until he was holding the correct one in his hands, he pushed the small golden key through the lock. With a slight tug, the satisfying click of the unlocking door was heard.

Rick opened the door slowly, and walked through the front door, depositing his keys and jacket as he did. He paused briefly, listening for the tell-tale sounds of Kate being home. No singing, as she so often did when she thought she was along. No running of water to indicate that she was taking a bath, no sounds in the kitchen to indicate that she was making food. 'How strange' Rick mused, as he continued walking through the loft. 'No matter' he thought, 'I'll just get into her bed and surprise her when she comes home!' He walked past the kitchen to put the food, coffees and DVDs on the table, and made his way over to Kate's bedroom.

Rick was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to poke around. Kate had opened up so much to him in the past few months, but he felt that there was still so much of her that he didn't understand. Being a writer, his mind was always keen and eager to uncover the reasons behind people's actions, and while he understood why Kate did most of the things she did, there were still those few secrets that he yearned to understand. Like, for example, why did she have a stack of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter books sitting on her bookshelf? Or, why did she always insist on having a British flag cushion on her couch? The little things about Kate were the most frustrating and captivating parts of her.

That being said, Rick would have felt rude looking into her personal life. He had done it before with her mother's case and he knew that it never ended well. He kept walking towards the bedroom. He pushed open the door, and jumped back, terrified.

There was a figure lying in Kate's bed.

The figure turned towards Castle, as he stood there shocked. "Rick?" the figure asked.

"Kate?" Rick replied. "I didn't think you were home…"

"Go away" Kate groaned, pulling the blankets up even higher. Her voice sounded hoarse, weak, and far away. Rick took another cautious step towards the lump in the bed. "Don't even get a step closer, Rick. I'm sick. Now go away."

"Sick? As in, common cold sick? Or full blown swine flu sick?" Rick responded.

"Don't be childish Castle, it's just a cold, I'll be fine in a few days. I don't want to get you sick though, so do us both a favour and go."

Instead of following his girlfriend's wishes, Castle walked over to the bedside and stared down at Kate's face. Her nose was red like Rudolph, her eyes bloodshot and watery, and her lips looked chapped and dry. Small smudges of makeup remained at the edges of her eyes and faint trails ran down her cheeks from the tears that escaped. She was an absolute – "I'm an absolute mess Castle. I know. I didn't want you to see me looking my absolute worst and being sick is just disgusting and I'm sorry but please just –."

"You're beautiful, Kate. Sickness or in health." Rick replied. 'Shit' he thought, 'too far too soon', realizing the implications of what his off-hand statement meant. But clearly his girlfriend was too doped up on medicine to even notice. Kate just groaned and turned over in bed so she was facing away. Rick stood up and surveyed the room. There were Kleenex everywhere, strewn about on the floor. A bottle of Advil and a bottle of Tylenol sat on the bedside table, as well as 2 empty glasses, a thermometer, throat lozenges, and a lukewarm bowl of chicken noodle soup. "The soup?" Rick asked.

"Smelled funny, made me feel sick." Kate murmured in response.

"Be right back!" Rick called, rushing through the bedroom doors. Kate groaned. She wasn't sure what Castle had in store for her but she already knew it wasn't going to be pretty.

Rick ran out the front door, almost giddy with anticipation. He knew just what he was going to do to make his sick girlfriend feel better.

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_Here's the first chapter. Sorry it took me so long to write! _

_I'm going to get started on chapter 2 right away!  
_

_Let me know what you think so far :)  
_

_Cheers xx  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Spill The Sickness

_Because learning about viruses in Biology equates to more inspiration_

_A/N: I am absolutely overwhelmed by the response I've gotten to the first chapter. I just wanted to thank all of you guys for wanting to read this. It just fuels my desire to write more. Anyways, on with chapter 2!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of its characters_

* * *

Rick ran out the front door, almost giddy with anticipation. He knew just what he was going to do to make his sick girlfriend feel better. Taking the stairs two at a time, he couldn't help whistling to himself. Despite having a very sick and presumably unhappy Kate Beckett in bed, he was sure that this was going to be a great day. Stepping out onto the street, Rick made a beeline for the nearest drug store. He praised Kate's choice in location, as the nearest drug store happened to be owned by an old close friend of his. He had befriended Tony, the pharmacologist, years ago when he had been doing research for Derrick Storm. It just so happened that Tony wasn't directly needed for research; rather, Castle had found himself with an unfortunate rash after trying a duct tape escape plan. Tony was calm and patient, and listened as Castle recalled his 'incident' in great detail. He gave Castle a cream that smelled like mint and cleared the rash up within the day. Ever since then, Tony had been the family choice whenever anyone got sick. No matter what the illness was, Tony managed to have a cure.

Rick walked into the pharmacy, quickly spotting the shiny, bald head behind the counter. "RICKY!" the short man called. He quickly ran out from behind the counter and practically skipped over towards Rick.

"Tony my friend, it's been way too long! How have you been? How are the kids?" Rick asked, unable to contain his smile at seeing his old friend.

"Rick, it's been nearly a year! No reckless escape attempts lately?" Tony asked with a wink. "The kids are good, Margaret is opening up her own law firm next week and Adam is happy at home with baby number two. How is your life? How are Martha and Alexis? And hey, are you still shadowing that detective friend of yours?"

"Martha and Alexis are great Tony, and they're actually not why I'm here. As it so happens I finally managed to snag detective Beckett and we've been together 6 months." Rick couldn't contain the glee from spreading across his face. "She's down with a cold, and I was wondering if you had anything for me that would make her feel any better."

"It's about time you got with her Ricky. I could tell as soon as you started talking about her that you were smitten. I'm proud of you kiddo. As it so happens I do have some lovely little treats perfect for getting rid of that stubborn winter cold."

And so it began. Tony walked through the aisles, chatting happily as Rick listened and perused the stock. "Here, we have tissues with lotion and aloe, perfect for preventing that stubborn and persistent red nose." Tony said as he gestured to his right. Rick grabbed 2 boxes as they pressed on.

As they made their way through the pharmacy, Rick found his basket getting full. By the time they had finished, he had: 2 boxes of deluxe tissues, a pack of coffee flavoured lozenges for sore throats, an aromatherapy candle that Tony swore relieved congestion, a chilled face mask – "does wonders for the red eyes my boy" – and a package of daytime cold medicine to relieve runny noses without causing drowsiness.

"Tony, you are a saint. I thank you so much. Kate will certainly appreciate all of this."

"Ah, Rick, it's no worry. After all, it's what I do! Let me know if it all works out, and I'm expecting an invitation to your wedding!"

Rick just laughed. "See you around Tony, give my best to your kids."

"You as well dear boy, drop by anytime!"

And with that, the portly, kind little man disappeared back into the shelves behind the counter. Rick gathered up his bags, sighing nostalgically as he looked around the cluttered yet organized pharmacy. If this got Kate smiling, or at least feeling better, he would make sure that Tony got all the proper credit. Pushing open the door, and hearing the slight ding of the bell, he walked out into the cool November air.

Alright, sickness relief had been taken care of. Next order of business: food. Grinning gleefully, he pulled out his cellphone. Having never dealt with a sick Beckett, he wasn't 100% sure what her sick comfort foods were. He began scrolling through his phone, looking for people who might know a bit better. Finding a number that may provide some answers, he pressed dial and held the phone up to his ear.

"Hey bro, what's up?"

"Hey Esposito. How's fighting crime today?" Rick asked

"Oh you know, same old same old. Catching bad guys, being a badass, a typical day at the 12th. Where's our girl Beckett at?"

"Actually, that was exactly what I called to take to you about. Kate is sick with the cold and I'm wondering if you know what her comfort foods are. I have an idea but I don't want to get the wrong thing."

"Oh so it's Kate now?" Esposito leered through the phone. "Sorry bro, couldn't resist. Honestly, Beckett never gets sick. Even when she does, she's in here drinking coffee and pushing through it. She must be really sick if she isn't here. I got no idea what she eats anyhow, that should be your responsibilities as boyfriend. Give her dad a call, he's probably dealt with sick Beckett enough."

"Thanks Javi, are we still on for Call of Duty on Friday?" Rick asked.

"You know it bro. Prepare to get your butt kicked."

"Looking forward to it. See you later."

"Bye bro" Esposito replied as he hung up the phone.

Scrolling through his contact list, Rick quickly came upon the number he was looking for. After the disastrous meet the parents dinner, Rick had decided to spend a bit of time with Jim one on one, in an attempt to smooth things over after that day. Even though their parents seemed to bond over them being missing, Rick and Kate still felt some tension. As a result, Rick had met up with Jim a few times and the two were on amicable terms. Rick dialed and waited.

"Hello?" the gravelly voice on the line asked.

"Hi Jim, it's Rick. Look, I hate to be a bother, but Kate is sick with the cold. I'm trying to find some things to make her feel better. I already bought medicine, but I'm wondering what foods Kate loved to eat as a kid, or when she felt sick."

There was a brief pause at the end of the line before Jim replied. "Hey Rick, thanks for taking care of Katie. I'll let you know now that she is stubborn when she's sick, even more than normal. She hates asking for help, so thanks for helping her anyways.

"As a kid, Katie loved to eat ravioli. Whenever she'd have a bad day, Johanna would whip up a batch of homemade ravioli. When Chef Boyardee came out, we switched to that, far less work, but ravioli was always Kate's go-to food when she was having an off day. Beef mini ravioli is an absolute must. I bet she hasn't had it in a while, but it will for sure make her day.

"Kate's sick food has always been, and probably always will be, Eggo waffles. I have never seen someone eat an entire box of those bad boys until Katie got strep throat when she was in the 6th grade. When her throat was hot or she was running a fever she would eat them while they were still frozen. When she was cold, toasted with butter was the way to go. They could be plain, chocolate chip, blueberry or whatever, but whenever she was sick I found myself running to the nearest grocery store to pick up those cheap quality pieces of cardboard that they pass off as waffles. But for whatever reason, Kate loves them, so we'd buy them for her when she got sick."

"Jim, thank you so much for the help. I'd love to chat more but I have to go, I don't want the grocery store to close before I can buy food. However, next Thursday, I'm having my writer friends over for poker night. I'd be honoured if you would join us."

"Thanks Rick," Jim replied "I'll let you know if I can make it."

"Alright, talk to you soon Jim. Cheers." Rick said, ending the call and placing his phone back into his pocket.

Next stop: grocery store.

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_A/N: I have been struck with wicked inspiration on this story, I'm about to start writing chapter 3, I'll have it posted (hopefully) by Friday night. As usual, let me know if I made any mistakes/you have any corrections. Criticism is love people.  
Until next time_


	3. Chapter 3

Spill The Sickness Chapter 3

_Because who needs to study for finals?_

_A/N: Here's Chapter 3. Thanks so much for waiting for this chapter, sorry it took a couple days!  
_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of it's characters. I only own my wicked procrastination abilities.  
_

* * *

"Alright, talk to you soon Jim. Cheers." Rick said, ending the call and placing his phone back into his pocket.

Next stop: grocery store.

Stepping out into the busy streets of New York, Rick hailed down a cab and proceeded to the nearest supermarket. Rick walked through the doors and was instantly approached by a greeter. "Well howdy there!" The friendly worker said animatedly. "Welcome to Safeway! Is there anything I can help you with? Would you like to try a free sample of our holiday Eggnog?"

"No thanks," Rick replied, "But could you direct me to the frozen food section?" The greeter motioned over towards his left. Rick thanked the man and headed over, unable to contain the slight spring in his step. He walked into the frozen food aisle, and began peering into the coolers, looking for those desirable Eggo waffles. After passing shelf upon shelf of frozen TV dinners, and far too many ice cream flavours to be considered normal, he found himself in the frozen breakfast section. He bypassed the Bagefuls, French Toasts and Pastries, and came across the Eggo waffle. Rick paused a moment, unsure as to what flavour and how many to buy. He knew Kate would be able to eat however many he bought; it wasn't like they went bad. However, if he didn't buy enough then he would either have to run out and buy more or sit there awkwardly as Kate was denied the beautiful, cardboard like goodness. On the other hand, if he bought too many it may look like he was splurging unnecessarily – something that she hated. Sighing heavily, Rick grabbed the 8 pack, right in between the small and large sizes. 'Thank god for variety' he praised internally. Throwing them into the small red basket he had picked up on the way in, Rick soldiered on, heading to the soup aisle to find the next item on his list: mini ravioli. Heading towards the easily distinguishable red cans, Rick was struck at how many different types of Chef Boyardee there were. Spaghetti, beef ravioli, mini ravioli, beefaroni, spaghetti sauce, lasagna, ABC pasta and even Mac n Cheese. Overwhelmed by the selection, the inner child in Castle was tempted to buy all of them. Stopping, letting his childish moment pass, he went and picked up 2 cans of mini ravioli and 1 of the regular beef ravioli. Proud of himself for not freaking out and buying impulsively, Rick continued down the aisle.

However, as these things often work out, all of a sudden he was surrounded by cookies. Pausing and sighing briefly, Rick couldn't control his inner child anymore. He quickly grabbed a box of Rainbow Chips Ahoy and a box of Double Stuffed Oreos and left the aisle quickly to avoid making more stupid purchases. Who knew impulse control would be so hard?

Even though it wasn't technically on the "list of things to make sick Kate Beckett feel better", Rick went to the tea section and tried to pick a tea flavour that Kate would like but would also be soothing. He decided on chamomile; it was a loved flavour by nearly everyone but was also known for being soothing.

Rick also decided some fresh fruit would be a good idea. Although the whole 'apple a day keeps the doctor away' concept would be a little bit late seeing as she was already sick, Rick decided that a little bit of fruit would go a long way for Kate. Once again, he found himself overwhelmed by selection. The selection of fruits gave no indication that it was November. There was still a large variety of tropical fruits that stocked the shelves, with no signs that it had been shipped from half way across the world. Apples were first: Rick chose Gala apples because let's face it, who doesn't love Gala apples? He threw in an orange and a couple bananas for good measure, and bought a small container of caramel dip because dipping apples in caramel was like eating a caramel apple, except you at least had the brief notion of feeling like you were being healthy.

Feeling quite content with himself, Rick headed over to the checkout. He began pulling the items out of his basket one by one, double checking that he hadn't forgotten any of the essentials. "Hold on!" Rick exclaimed. "I'll be right back, hold on." Rick explained to the cashier as he rushed off in the opposite direction. Making a beeline for the drink aisle, Rick quickly found the ginger ale and cranberry juice he was looking for. A trick he had learned when Alexis got sick, mixing ginger ale with fruit juice was guaranteed to make even the grossest stomach aches feel better.

Running back to the cash register, Rick was pleased to see his stuff still there on the conveyer belt waiting to be rung through. "Thanks man" Rick said to the teenager behind the cash register.

Soon the items were rung through and Rick was on his merry way, wishing the friendly greeter at the door a lovely evening. Running through his mental list, Rick began checking off what he had already gotten. He had gotten sickness related things and he had gotten food related things. Both of which were guaranteed to make Kate feel better. But he needed something else.

He needed entertainment.

He knew that Kate had a wild, fun side. He had gotten to see it over the last 4 and a half years, and especially in the last 6 months. However, there was still so much of her that was a mystery. He wanted to get Kate something that he knew would make her feel better. So he called up the one person who would know the wild side of Kate the best.

"Well hello there Writer Boy. To what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?" Lanie asked.

"Really Lanie? Can't I be Writer Man at least?"

He got no response except a fit of laughter from the other end of the phone. "Anyways, I was calling because Kate is sick and I'm getting her things to make her feel better. I was wondering if you could help me out."

"Sure Castle," Lanie replied, "what do you need?"

"Well I've already gotten food and cold medicine, but I'm looking for things to cheer her up. I know Temptation Lane was a guilty pleasure for her, but what else? Music? Books? Movies? Do you know?"

"Well, if my girl asks, I never told you any of this. But she's a sucker for MC Hammer. One time, her and I went to a karaoke bar, had a few drinks, and next thing I know she's up on stage belting all the words to 'Can't touch this'. Also, for some reason she loves The Cardigans. 'Lovefool' was her jam back in the day. To this day, when she's getting ready to go out she'll have that song playing. And she'll dance and sing along and it's just like she's a teenager again. Also, the B-52's. She went to their concert decades ago and still has her ticket stub and a t-shirt she bought." Castle smiled through the phone. He knew all too well about Kate's B-52's shirt. A favourite of both of theirs, it hung off her shoulder and was just long enough to be worn with nothing under it but left her legs looking endlessly long. It was soft and worn and just so _Kate _that Rick had trouble keeping his hands off of her when she wore it, not that she really minded.

Lanie broke him out of his reverie. "Now, that's music. Movies are a whole other story. You probably know this better than me, but she loves cheesy sci-fi movies. And I'm not talking your average sci-fi. I'm talking full on "Plan 9 From Outer Space" bad. Any terrible cheesy sci-fi film, and I can guarantee that she's seen it. Find her a couple of those old relic films and you will have her feeling better in no time at all.

"As for TV shows, Temptation Lane is obviously a classic. She told me she's been catching up on Modern Family and The New Normal. If you can find those then I'm sure you'll make her a very happy girl."

Rick sighed, thankful that he had gotten some good answers. "Thank you Lanie, you've been a huge help."

"Thanks for taking of my girl Castle. She's really lucky she has you. You two are great for one another."

"I'm the lucky one here Lanie, trust me. Thanks again!"

"Talk to you later Rick." Lanie replied, as the phone hung up.

Suppressing the urge to do a fist pump in the air, Rick hailed another cab, and got ready for his penultimate destination on the MKBFBJ – Make Kate Beckett Feel Better Journey.

Next stop: Blockbuster

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_A/N 2: Don't even know if Blockbuster is a legitimate place to buy TV shows and movies anymore. They went bankrupt here in Canada so I don't know haha. Anyways, there you have it! I'm hoping to have at least 2 more chapters with this story. I'm hoping that I'll get the next chapter posted by the weekend but I don't know how much time I'll have to write. My finals for University are starting this week and going on for the next 3 weeks so we'll see.  
Thanks so much for reading!_

_Take care!  
_


	4. Chapter 4

Spill The Sickness

_Because I'm a master procrastinator but I'm trying_

_A/N: I'm so so so so so sorry that this update has taken so long! I don't even have a good excuse. Life happened, I finally got out a couple times. But you all don't care about that! Here is the next chapter (sorry for the delay!) I'm hoping to wrap this up in 1-2 chapters. Thanks so much for sticking with me!_

* * *

Blockbuster. Rick couldn't remember the last time he had stepped inside one of these places. It was like an old part of ancient history. Ever since Netflix had come out, he rarely found the need to actually leave the house to find anything. Yet, his girlfriend had refused to use his account with him. Rick smiled as he thought about the mini fight he and Kate had had when Rick had first suggested Kate share his account. Despite his best efforts, she had ultimately refused, which is how Rick now found himself inside the old, decrepit store.

Even though it had been years, it still smelled exactly the same. The smell of the weird plastic on the front of movies, the faint smell of movie popcorn and ultimately the smell of a company who had given up.

Rick knew exactly where to go first. He still remembered where the section was for Science Fiction. When Alexis was younger, he would go and pick her up every Friday after school and take her straight to this Blockbuster. They would head right to the Sci-Fi section and spend far too long trying to pick which cheesy film they would watch that evening. It would always result in something with either zombies, or science projects gone wrong. As he walked past the counter on his way to the far back corner, he peered over to the kid working behind the desk. He was no older than Alexis, with an acne covered face and curly red hair. He had a dead expression on his face and appeared to be zoning out into space. Shaking his head slightly and sighing heavily, Rick headed over to the Sci-Fi section.

Letting his eyes wander over the movies, Rick began to think about how Kate was holding up. His mind instantly went to worst case scenario. _What if she needs my help? What if she can't get out of bed but she needs something? What if she's hungry but doesn't have any food? Thirsty but doesn't have any water? _His mind began to race a mile a minute. To calm his nerves, he pulled out his phone and pressed speed dial number 3.

"Hey there handsome" a raspy voice on the other line replied, "I was beginning to think that you had forgotten about me."

Rick simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief and felt his stomach flip in little circles at Kate's use of the word 'handsome'. "Hey you. You and I both know that I'll never forget about you." Kate's pause on the line and intake of breath indicated to Rick that she also heard the layers behind his simple statement. "I'm still on my valiant and noble quest to make you feel better. I just wanted to quickly check in and see how you were holding up."

Rick heard Kate's soft laughter through the phone. "Oh, you know. My nose is like a waterfall, and my body can't decide if I'm in Antarctica or the Sahara desert. But mostly, I'm just missing you." Kate replied.

At that quiet little admission, Rick's body and brain jumped into overdrive. "Okay, give me like, 20, maybe 30 minutes tops. I will be home before you know it. Try and get some sleep in the meantime, got it?"

"Mmm, yeah…okay…" Kate's voice began to trail off.

"I'll see you soon Kate" Rick replied.

"Yep… love you." Kate murmured before hanging up.

Rick froze and dropped his phone. She hadn't said those words to him yet. Sure, all of her actions and looks had indicated, but those words hadn't yet been said. Hell, Rick hadn't even said them since their argument all those months ago. She was half asleep and doped up on medicine but still, _she loves him. _

He scooped up the first 3 movies he could get his hands on, ran over to the comedy section to grab the first 2 seasons of Modern Family on DVD, and raced over to the counter. He barely gave the kid a chance to ask if he had found everything alright before he was thrusting a handful of cash into the kid's hand, telling him to keep the change and was running out the door with his multiple bags of goodies.

Rick had to resist the urge to skip down the streets and fist pump his hand into the air due to the large amounts of people walking down the streets in Manhattan today.

Hailing the first cab he could find, Rick quickly gave Kate's address and put on his seatbelt. He could feel himself practically bouncing up and down in his seat. Kate had said 'I love you' and he hadn't even been there to capture her lips in a kiss immediately after. Cursing the strange ways of the Universe, Rick thought of how to arrange the ridiculous amounts of things he had bought for Kate. Should it be food first? Or medicine, followed by food, followed by movies? Or should he just show her everything he bought and wait for her decide? His mind would not shut up.

In a futile attempt to calm his racing nerves, he pulled out his phone and opened up Words with Friends, he had two outstanding games, one with Ryan and one with Esposito. Kate had adamantly refused to download the game, despite Rick's incessant pleas that it was the best game ever. Okay, so he may have said that about every iPhone game fad ever, but this time it was true.

Of course, living in Manhattan, traffic was backed up. Rick was trying to drown out the cabbie yelling at all the other drivers but it was no use. "Here, this is close enough, here you go." Rick yelled at the cabbie as he grabbed his bags and jumped out the door.

"Hey buddy! You're still 10 blocks away! What are you doing?" The driver yelled after Rick.

But it was no use. Rick started running through the streets, bags in hand, and a elated yet determined expression on his face.

He needed to see his girlfriend and make her better.

Now.

* * *

_A/N: Thanks again for sticking with me on this one!  
As usual, let me know if you see any mistakes and let me know what you think!  
_

_Take care you lovely people  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Spill The Sickness Chapter 5

_Because going back to University clearly is a cause for inspiration_

* * *

Rick got out of the taxi and began running. He was swerving and diving through the streets, trying – and failing – to avoid hitting the crowds of people that were walking excruciatingly slow on the sidewalk. He briefly considered running on the street, but them decided that life was good as it was and it would do Kate no good to have him lying in a hospital bed. He was issued more than a couple death threats by passersby who he had accidentally hit with his bags of supplies and apologies were spilling out of his mouth left, right and center. His legs were screaming in protest but adrenaline was pumping through his veins and his heart felt like it would leap out of his chest because _Kate Beckett loved him. _

Finally, like a beacon of light shining in the sky on a dark and stormy night, Rick spotted Kate's apartment. Feeling a weight lifted off his chest, he picked up the pace, tapping into energy sources he didn't even know he possessed. Slipping his key seamlessly out of his pocket, he opened the front door to Kate's apartment with such force that he very nearly broke the handle off. As he neared the elevator, he saw that it was currently up on the 5th floor. Kate's elevator was infamously slow (something that they had taken advantage of on more than one occasion) so he decided to bypass it and opted for the stairs instead. Taking them two at a time, Rick's smile grew as he neared the 3rd floor, where his sick girlfriend presumably lay waiting. As he got into the hallway, he continued running. His feet felt like they were flying across the ground, until suddenly his feet grew too big. That, or his legs finally decided it was simply time to quit. He found the ground coming towards him as he tripped over his own feet and plummeted to the ground.

Making the spontaneous call that his gifts were more precious than the bones in his body, he tucked his bags into his chest as a football player would with a recently caught football and began to spin as his knees hit the ground. Landing firmly on his back, and hearing a few cracks in the process. Rick smiled as he saw all of his stuff in the bags safe and sound. Clearly, his fall had made a loud noise, but he was too busy, squeezing his eyes closed and wheezing and gasping to hear door opening and sock covered feet padding down the hall over to his unmoving form.

"Castle?" Kate asked, sounding a lot like a chronic chain smoker, "Why are you lying on the floor?"

He opened his eyes to see his girlfriend smiling patiently at him as she towered over him, barely concealing the love pouring out from her. As she knelt down to check on him, Rick replied "Oh, you know Beckett. I just realized how truly beautiful the carpet in the hallway was so I decided to get a closer look at it."

Kate laughed softly. "Is that really the best you got?"

"I was rushed woman, you didn't give me enough time to come up with something better. Give me a second and I'll spin you a tale about the tiny people living in the carpet and their tiny war and how I was the only man big enough to stop it."

"Well clearly your imagination is still fine. How are you feeling?" Kate asked as she ran her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck, tracing the shell of his ear with her thumb.

He wanted to ask her about her half-asleep, drugged up declaration earlier. But upon looking past her bright eyes he saw that she still looked awful. He chose to let the conversation wait for a more convenient time and instead asked: "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? I'm fine Kate. Nothing feels broken. But what about you? How are you doing?"

Kate sighed, loose strands of hair being blown away from her face. The remains of what used to be a messy braid lay limply at the side of her neck. Her nose was still red, she looked pale and diseased, but she was still the most beautiful thing Rick had ever seen.

"Honestly Rick, I feel like crap. I just slept the whole day away but I barely feel any better. My eyes are still red, my throat feels like I just ate razor blades, and I can't do anything without falling asleep because of my cold medicine. I can't decide what food I want but I'm hungry, and I want to watch TV but I can't figure out what show and I'm just so _sick _of being sick." She took a deep breath. "Sorry, needed to get that off my chest. What's in the bags?"

Rick began to sit up, ignoring the protest from his back. "Well, it just so happens that I've been scouring the streets of Manhattan gathering everything on my MKBFBJ."

"Make Kate Beckett Feel Better Journey?" she asked.

"Damn woman, you're good. That's uncanny. But yeah, that. Anyways, why don't you go get yourself comfortable and I will do my best to help make you feel better. Okay?" Rick looked into her eyes, seeing the resignation in them.

" 'Kay" Kate responded, as she grabbed Rick's hand and helped him up. Taking the lead, he led them back into Kate's apartment and took them over to Kate's couch. She sat down, and Rick grabbed the blanket draped across the back and placed it beside her. "Give me a minute." He said, wandering over to the island in her kitchen and placing the bags on the counter. He first grabbed the cold medicine, lozenges and Kleenex and placed them next to the bag. Grabbing the face pack, he threw it into the freezer to let it cool and moved on to the bag of groceries. He pulled out a Gala apple, found Kate's apple corer, and quickly cut the apple into pieces. Placing it on a plate next to the caramel dip, he then whipped up a large glass of cranberry juice and gingerale, placing several ice cubes into the glass. Practically dancing through her kitchen, he grabbed a bowl and threw the mini ravioli into it, placing it into the microwave as he got to the final bag. Rick recalled the conversations he had had today, from Esposito to Kate's dad to –

"Shit, no, wait." Rick yelled at no one in particular. "I forgot to go and get the music that Lanie suggested. I asked her and she told me all about MC Hammer, and reminded me of the B-52s. But then she brought up movies and I –"

"You talked to Lanie?" a voice suddenly asked from the living room. Kate had sat up from her fetal position on the couch and was now making her way over to the kitchen, wrapped up in the blanket as if she was a caterpillar inside a cocoon.

Rick paused, internally smacking himself. This wasn't part of the journey, or the plan. "Um, yeah. See, I wasn't sure what was guaranteed to make you feel better. So I had called Lanie because you two have been friends for a while. After all, I felt that she would know better than your dad what kind of music you like so I called – "

"And my dad? Really Castle? Why was this all so important to you?" Kate asked, the confusion on her face so plain. Rick wanted nothing more than to take her face between his hands, kiss the tip of her nose, smooth away her furrowed brow and kiss her senseless. Instead, he settled for words; or at least tried to. "Kate, we've been in this thing for over 6 months now. And I've never been too overbearing with my feelings because I know you weren't quite ready to say the words yet. But seeing you sick today made me realize that I'm in this for the long run and as your partner and boyfriend I wanted to make you feel better. And more than that, I wanted to do the best job possible because I want you to know that I'm serious about this and that I'm worth it. Despite all the fights and stupid arguments we get into I want this Kate. You, me, us. All of it. I just wanted you to be able to smile on even the worst days and I wanted to be the reason you were smiling. So I went through all this work because I love you. And then you told me that you love me too over the phone as you were drugged up and falling asleep and I knew that I needed to see you happy and well again. Even though you probably don't remember it, it's okay. You don't need to say it again because I know you do but if you aren't ready to say the words it's fine I just want you to feel better…" Rick trailed off, unsure of how forgetting music led to him saying 'I love you' but yet here he was. Too afraid to look up and see what Kate's reaction was, he chose to look down at the counter instead.

* * *

_A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay in last chapter. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. _

_I'm on a roll, I just wanted to get some of this posted right now. Let me know what you think of the chapter and I'll be sure to update again by the end of the week.  
_

_Cheers!  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Spill The Sickness Chapter 6

_Because this month has been crazy busy but you all deserve an ending_

_A/N: Here is is guys. The final chapter. I am SO sorry for the delay. I hope this last chapter is what you all wanted.  
_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or any of it's characters. I leave that to TPTB  
_

_To Rimah, for broadly_

* * *

Too afraid to look up and see what Kate's reaction was, Rick chose to look down at the counter instead.

"Rick…." Kate began, her voice hesitant and unsure.

"Look Kate, just forget I said anything. Now, go sit down and I'll bring you your food, it's almost ready."

"Rick." Kate said again, sounding more confident in her tone. When he chose not to look up, he felt the cool smooth hands he instantly knew were his girlfriend's on his cheeks, pulling his face up to look at her. Rick kept his eyes shut for another moment, and then slowly opened them. What he saw shocked him.

Kate, in all her grossness and sickness, was smiling at him so broadly it looked like her face would split in two. "I love you."

Rick felt his heart stop. Kate's smile didn't falter. She just continued to stare at him, much like she did that day after the bank explosion, or when he broke out of jail and she found him at the New York Public Library. It was one of those rare moments of pure, unbridled love that shone through Kate's eyes and warmed the hearts of anyone and everyone around her. "You're sure?" He asked, trying to eliminate that small shred of doubt once and for all.

Laughing, Kate replied "Yes Rick. 100% sure."

At that, Rick grabbed Kate around the waist, and kissed her chapped, dry lips, in that moment not caring about getting a cold or the ravioli currently cooling in the microwave. All he could think about were Kate's lips underneath his. His tongue ran along them and her mouth opened in response. He swallowed Kate's moan of pleasure and pulled her impossibly closer to him.

Breaking when air became a necessity, he placed his forehead against hers, breathing in and out in perfect harmony with the woman who loved him. Kate went up on her toes and gave him an Eskimo kiss. Rick opened his eyes and looked deep into hers, overjoyed by the love he saw reflected in them.

"Now, Mr. Castle. I believe you were in the process of making me a very late dinner." Kate grinned, moving backwards slightly to look at his face.

"Why Detective Beckett, I do believe you're right. Now, where were we? Ah yes, mini ravioli. Upon speaking with your father he informed me of your love for mini ravioli as well as Eggo waffles. However, seeing as it's nearing 10pm I figured that ravioli might be a better choice. I mean of course, if you would prefer waffles, I can always eat the ravioli and make you some waffles, or if you don't want either of those I'm sure somewhere delivers…and I'm rambling again aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are. But it's sweet Castle." Kate patted his arm encouragingly. "Ravioli sounds absolutely fantastic. Now," she said, grabbing the glass of juice as she stood up, "you said something about TV shows?"

"Indeed I did!" Rick replied happily. "I grabbed Modern Family. I've only seen the first season and I thought it could maybe be something we could watch together. If you want." Rick looked at her expectantly.

"I would love that." Kate grabbed the DVD set and headed into her bedroom to grab her laptop to watch it on.

Unable to contain the grin that spread on his face as he watched her shuffle her feet along the ground from the small opening in the blanket, Rick shook his head and turned his attention back to his wares. He looked back at the rest of the items he had laid out on the counter.

He filled up a second glass of cranberry juice and ginger ale for himself, put another 30 seconds of time on the microwave to reheat the now lukewarm ravioli, and placed the rest of the food onto a baking tray, acting as a makeshift serving platter.

Next, he grabbed the candle, lit it, and placed it on the coffee table in the living room.

Opening the throat lozenges, he placed a few in a small dish, grabbed the cold medicine and a tall glass of water, and placed those on the table as well. He headed into Kate's bedroom, just as she was walking out. Snaking an arm around her waist, he pulled her in for a brief kiss. Planting his lips on hers, he heard her slight hum of approval, causing him to smile as he pulled away.

"I'm going to put on some sweats. Are mine still in the drawer?"

Kate looked up into his eyes, a smile dancing across her face. "Yeah, they're washed and folded up in the bottom drawer. They're right next to your dress shirts that you keep 'accidentally' leaving here."

Grinning mischievously, Rick replied "What can I say? The way you look in the morning, standing in your kitchen, wearing just one of my shirts is one of the hottest things I've ever seen."

He began pulling her in again, just she lightly smacked him and kept him at arms length. "Down boy. Go put on your pants and meet me on the couch."

"Yes ma'am!" He replied, with a mock salute.

"I'll be the one under the giant blanket." She said with a wink as she walked away.

He quickly changed out of his jeans and into his black sweats, thankful that he went for a navy pullover sweater instead of a dress shirt today. It also didn't hurt that Kate became especially touchy whenever he wore one. She could never stop her hands from skimming across his chest, feeling the strong, flat muscles of his pecs beneath her fingers.

Wasting no time, he headed back into the living room to see Kate already cuddled up under a blanket. Bringing over the "tray" of food, he placed it on the table next to the medicine and sat down next to his girlfriend.

"Okay, first medicine, then food, then TV."

"Wow Castle," Kate teased, "who knew you could be so assertive. It's kind of hot."

"Hey, you discouraged any funny business not even 5 minutes ago. Don't tempt me now."

Sitting up, Kate quickly downed her medicine, grabbed up her bowl of ravioli, and resumed her original position of leaning back against the couch. Meanwhile, Rick grabbed the laptop, popped in the DVD, and set it up to play the first episode. Placing the laptop on his legs, he threw an arm around Kate so she snuggled up against his side. She smiled up at him. "Rick?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he murmured in response.

"Thank you. For today."

"Always" was his simple reply.

And that night, as she fell asleep in is arms, Rick knew that in years to come, he would always be here to make Kate feel better. 'In sickness and health' wasn't too far away anyways.

* * *

_A/N: As always, I'd love to hear what you thought about it. _

_I've been working on another one-shot for a while, I'll try to post it at some point.  
Thanks for sharing this journey with me guys. It's been a blast.  
_

_Geneva  
_


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